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2018 WCQ: Ronaldo, Depay Net Brace; Belgium Humiliate Estonia

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice to lead Portugal to a 4-1 win at home over Latvia in UEFA World Cup qualifying Group B on Sunday. ...

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice to lead Portugal to a 4-1 win
at home over Latvia in UEFA World Cup qualifying Group B on Sunday.

The Real Madrid star opened the scoring with a penalty in
the 28th minute after Latvia's Gints Freimanis brought down Nani in the box
following a one-two with Ronaldo.

Ronaldo should have doubled Portugal's lead but hit the post
with a second penalty before the hour mark, and Latvia equalised against the
run of play soon after, Arturs Zjuzins lashing home after Jose Fonte had
blocked Artjoms Rudnevs' shot.

But the visitors' joy lasted less than three minutes as
William Carvalho restored Portugal's lead with a close-range header, and
Ronaldo did find his second with five minutes to play with a well-taken volley.

Ronaldo twice came close to completing his hat trick in the
late stages, but when Portugal's fourth did come it was Andre Silva heading
home Raphael Guerreiro's cross in stoppage time.

Portugal remain three points back of Switzerland, who
continued their perfect run in qualifying with a 2-0 defeat of Faroe Islands.

The win keeps Switzerland atop the Group B table with 12
points from four matches.

Thomas Meunier put Belgium ahead in the eighth minute in
Brussels by heading in Yannick Carrasco's cross, and eight minutes later
Mertens found his first of the night with a deflected shot from the top of the
box.

The rout was on when Eden Hazard ran onto Mertens' through
ball in the 25th minute, though Estonia were able to pull a goal back through
Henri Anier on the half-hour mark.

But Carrasco had plenty of space in the box to score
Belgium's fourth in the 62nd minute, and two minutes later Mertens' cross
deflected in off of Liverpool's Ragnar Klavan for an own goal.

Mertens did get credit for his second on 68 minutes by
calmly chipping the keeper from 15 yards, and Romelu Lukaku scored a late brace
of his own to cap the scoring.

Greece are two points behind Belgium after Giorgos
Tzavellas' goal deep into stoppage time secured a 1-1 draw with
Bosnia-Herzegovina.

A Memphis Depay double nudged the Netherlands to a 3-1
victory at Luxembourg in Group A.

Arjen Robben put the Netherlands in front after 36 minutes
-- the Bayern Munich man latching onto a Georginio Wijnaldum pass on the right
wing, cutting onto his favoured left foot and firing low and hard past Ralph
Schon in the Luxembourg goal.

Undaunted, the hosts struck back just before the break with
a goal of their own -- Maxine Chanot sending Maarten Stekelenburg the other way
from the penalty spot after Joshua Brenet had fouled Daniel Alves Da Mota in
the box.

However, second-half substitute Memphis Depay restored the
Dutch advantage just minutes after coming on with a powerful header of a Daley
Blind cross in the 58th.

And it was Depay who added the third -- and his second of
the day -- six minutes before the whistle to seal the points. The Manchester
United man curled his free kick over the wall and past Schon at the near post
after Chanot had fouled Virgil van Dijk a few yards outside the box.

The win moves the Netherlands into second place in Group A,
three points behind leaders France after four rounds.